William H. Danforth founded the Ralston Purina Company in St. Louis, Missouri. He co-founded the American Youth Foundation (AYF) to train young men and women in Christian ideals and help them prepare for a life of responsibility and leadership. As president of the American Youth Foundation, Mr. Danforth helped establish Camp Miniwanca, a 300-acre campsite near Shelby, Michiganthat he established while he was president of AYF for the purpose of helping young people. For more than 30 years, up to the time of his death, Mr. Danforth spent his summers at Camp Miniwanca where he met, counseled and inspired thousands of young men and women. He also established the Danforth Foundation as a national educational philanthropy.
His passion for helping individuals to fulfill destiny stirred him to write I Dare You. The dominant message of the book proposes that, for an individual to be healthy, the four key components in life need to be in balance at all times Physical, Mental, Social, and Religious.